Not to be confused with the best concerts, these summer concerts are the biggest: either the acts themselves—such as One Direction or Blake Shelton—are huge, crowd-pleasing draws, or the shows are noteworthy for other reasons. (For example, the Postal Service reunite after a decade of silence, while the National plays its biggest homecoming gig yet at the Barclays Center.)

In 2010, the Paramore lineup—precarious since the band formed in Tennessee nearly a decade ago—survived another shake-up: Brothers Josh and Zac Farro quit the outfit, whittling the band down to a trio led by spunky, ochre-haired singer Hayley Williams. The new group is touring to support its fourth record, with a sound we like to think of as emo-punk filtered through Katy Perry. Sold out.

There’s a good amount of nostalgia-fueled pleasure to be derived from seeing NKOTB live; if you were an adolescent fan during the band’s early-’90s heyday, the shows evoke the giddy, goofy feeling of having a sing-along with your friends at the coolest slumber party ever. Support comes courtesy of R&B stars Boyz II Men, bringing Motownphilly back again, and late-’90s boy band 98 Degrees, reuniting for the first time in a decade. Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Tpke at Meadowbrook Pkwy, Uniondale, Long Island (516-794-9300, nassaucoliseum.com). June 1 at 7:30pm; $29.50–$99.50 • Izod Center, Meadowlands Sports Complex, 50 State Rte 120, East Rutherford, NJ (201-935-3900, izodcenter.com). June 13 at 7:30pm; $29.50–$99.50 • Barclays Center, 620 Atlantic Ave at Flatbush Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (800-745-3000, barclayscenter.com). June 16 at 7:30pm; $29.50–$99.50.

When DMB released its debut album, Under the Table and Dreaming, in 1994, few could have predicted the Virginia troupe’s staying power. These sorts of jammy outdoor performances are Matthews & Co.’s bread and butter, simmering inup a gumbo of pop, funk and jazz. The group lost its founding saxophonist, LeRoi Moore, five years ago, but hasve enlisted Flecktone Jeff Coffin to fill his large shoes. PNC Bank Arts Center, Exit 116, Garden State Pkwy, Holmdel, NJ (732-203-2500, livenation.com). June 6 at 7pm; $40.50–$75. • Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Jones Beach, Wantagh, L.I.NY (800-745-3000, livenation.com). June 25, 26 at 7pm; $75.

Though this moody indie-rock quintet hails from Cincinnati, it has become closely identified with its adopted Brooklyn—which makes this home stand in the borough’s spanking-new arena as sweet as any playoff series. $29.50–$49.50.

Just when you’d finally come to grips with the fact that, yes, Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy took less time than the still-awaited sophomore album from Ben Gibbard’s airy electropop side project with Dntel’s Jimmy Tamborello, along comes a tour celebrating an expanded reissue of Give Up, the group’s hugely popular Sub Pop debut. Sequester notwithstanding, hope springs eternal. $35–$50.

Joan Baez + Indigo Girls

Girl power takes center stage, with decades of hits spread out between the two headliners. Baez was at the forefront of the politically informed folk movement of the 1960s, dated Bob Dylan and vocally opposed the Vietnam War. She was also an early supporter of gay rights—a natural match for a bill with Indigo Girls, whose political leanings (staunchly lefty) are inextricably linked to their tunes. summerstage.org. $62.

SummerStage Main Stage

Mon Jun 17 at 7pm

The B-52s + The Go-Go’s

If a vacation to Planet Claire is all you ever wanted, roam (if you want to) up to Roseland, where these two well-preserved new-wave acts will get your beat and rock your lobster until it’s time to head back to the love shack. (Our lips are sealed.) 212-307-7171, ticketmaster.com. $50–$80.

Your favorite roving musical soap opera touches down in Long Island. Christine McVie may not be on board, but at the Mac’s MSG appearance in April, the remaining four members were still a study in delicious contrasts. Stevie Nicks relishes her role as proto-goth enchantress, Lindsey Buckingham plays the incendiary genius, and the walloping rhythm section of John McVie and Mick Fleetwood is determined to rattle the skull of anyone who persists in mistaking the band for soft rock. $39.50–$179.50.

Prog-rock behemoths Rush have been basking in a relevance renaissance, touring and cranking out albums as often as avowed worshippers Paul Rudd and Jason Segel hit the cineplex. The renewed hype for the Canadian trio is warranted: Geddy Lee’s voice is still gorgeously Farinelli-esque, while Alex Lifeson adorns his guitar parts with a myriad of effects and Neil Peart remains one of the most dexterous rock & roll drummers of all time. $37.50–$152.50.

If losing a reality-TV singing competition leads to success on the level of One Direction, American Idol might start to look more and more like the 1919 World Series. The London-based gents in One D are arguably the biggest boy band on the planet, releasing a steady stream of hard-to-hate, catchy power pop. The music, itself, might be hard to make out beneath the din of screaming young ladies at these shows. Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Jones Beach, Wantagh, L.I.NY (800-745-3000, livenation.com). June 28, 29 at 7pm; sold out. • Izod Center, Meadowlands Sports Complex, 50 State Rte 120, East Rutherford, NJ (201-935-3900, izodcenter.com). July 2 at 7:30pm; sold out.

Vans Warped Tour

Mall punks, skater bois, emo kids and more will converge for their tribal rite of summer—presumably the one time of year most will apply sunscreen. This year’s headliners include Motion City Soundtrack, Hawthorne Heights and Chiodos, but there’s usually something for everyone. PNC Bank Arts Center, Exit 116, Garden State Pkwy, Holmdel, NJ (732-203-2500, livenation.com). July 7, gates open at at 11am; $37.50. • Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Tpke at Meadowbrook Pkwy, Uniondale, Long Island (516-794-9300, nassaucoliseum.com). July 13, gates open at at 11:30am; $39.

The unstoppable kings of the jam-band circuit are on the road again this summer—c’mon, what else is Phish going to do? The phans will come out in droves, and if you’re liable to join them, you’ve almost definitely got your tickets already. PNC Bank Arts Center, Exit 116, Garden State Pkwy, Holmdel, NJ (732-203-2500, livenation.com). Jul 10 at 7pm, $45–$60. • Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY (516-221-1000, livenation.com). July 12 at 7:30pm; sold out.

School’s out for summer, which means there’s no better time to catch up with the golfing godfather of shock rock. Cooper’s most recent studio affair, Welcome 2 My Nightmare, is a sequel of one of his all-time classics; live, he’ll play the hits and more. $35–$75.

Blake Shelton

The most recognized face in country music (thanks to a certain televised singing competition on which he’s a boisterous judge), Blake Shelton is no slouch in the vocal department himself. He’s doing the rounds this summer atop a package tour called Ten Times Crazier—to find out “than what,” you’ll have to attend his show. 800-745-3000, livenation.com. $29.50–$59.